Poo Brew

[Dodie]

SO much for Queensland not being cultured.

The state now boasts the nation's most expensive cup of coffee, and it comes courtesy of the digestive tract of a cat-like creature from the jungles of Indonesia.

The rare Kopi Luwak coffee brew will soon be on the menu at Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms, about 40 minutes west of Townsville – for $50 a cup.

The beans for the exclusive brew are retrieved from the droppings of the luwak, a cat-like member of the civet family which is found in Indonesia's Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.

Luwaks like eating ripe coffee cherries, but are apparently particular about which ones they choose - seeking out only the most luscious.

The inner bean is not digested, meaning they can be retrieved from the luwak poo.

The beans are then washed and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavours which develop through the whole process – and then sold for up to $1250 per kg.

Fans of the brew say the luwak's stomach enzymes break down proteins in the beans, making a smoother brew with no bitterness.

Dutch coffee connoisseur Bob Dam has described the coffee as having a fine chocolate aroma which "tastes delicious at the back of the throat".

Heritage Tea Rooms owner Allan Sharpe reckons the coffee beans are rarer than diamonds.

"We've spoken to our import company and to our knowledge we are the only cafe in Australia selling this coffee," he said.

"I'm not kidding myself that we'll sell heaps but people come here for an experience and many don't mind paying for that – it is a beautiful coffee."

The Sharpes initially imported 4.5kg of Kopi Luwak, almost 2 per cent of this year's production. But for those who aren't willing to part with $50 for a cuppa, Mrs Sharpe says the cafe's standard $3.50 espresso is a fine alternative.

[transDiMenTional]

fuck man jesus christ himself could have pooed out the beans and i still wouldnt pay $50 PER CUP!!

and even if it does 'taste delicious at the back of the throat"!!

[Torsten]

I saw a doco on this a while back. Pretty funny really.

Now, I am sure the luwak is not the only animal that would partially digest the proteins in the beans and produce a better coffee. I am sure if we found another critters that likes the beans but doesn't digest them then we could develop a whole range of poo-brews.

note, other than rats I have no seen anything eat the beans. The fruit is quite sweet, so I wonder why not more beans are eaten?

[occidentalis]

note, other than rats I have no seen anything eat the beans. The fruit is quite sweet, so I wonder why not more beans are eaten?

The traditional story of the discovery of coffee was that goats were fond of eating the berries and goatherds noticed that their flocks were always a bit skittish after munching on them.

[Benzito]

Yeah, my partner Kat, and I are huge coffee fiends! We went mental visiting all the 'orchards'(?) up around Byron, etc last time we were there.

It's so nice to sit there drinking coffee, looking at the plants it grew on.

We have debated ordering a small amount of Kopi Luwak beans before, but it's more expensive than weed!

[simon_marklar]

the way they describe the taste i get the exact same brew (but not from the bowls of an animal) at my local gourmet store - mexican free trade coffee - has a creamy chocolate taste/aroma

Dutch coffee connoisseur Bob Dam has described the coffee as having a fine chocolate aroma which "tastes delicious at the back of the throat"

ps 3.50 for an expresso is far too much...

[n00dle]

If i recall correctly this is done in europe with racoons or something.

Certainly not $50 a cup though.

[gomaos]

50 bucks a cup? If it was active and worked like, say, mdma and acid mixed together, ok I'd pay the money, but just for taste?

Only for capitalists I reckon...

[transDiMenTional]

lol Gom